


An Unknowing Rival

by noblesse_oblige



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Here Lies the Abyss Spoilers, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-04
Updated: 2015-02-04
Packaged: 2018-03-10 10:27:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3286940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noblesse_oblige/pseuds/noblesse_oblige
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Hero of Ferelden has left on a quest of her own: to find a cure for the Calling. What she could not predict before she left was the Breach and the Grey Wardens' involvement in it all. She's unknowingly painted a target on her own back, and Corypheus will not suffer even an unknowing rival.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Unknowing Rival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andromeda Trevelyan watches Alistair from the Rookery with Leliana, learning what little she can about the Hero of Ferelden.

Although the Inquisitor had only known Alistair for the better part of a week, she could still recognize the nervous pacing on the battlements. She often found the Commander doing the same relentless stride the day before she left on one of her campaigns; a subtle worry in the form of body language. The Grey Warden had been contemplating in that way for several hours since he relinquished the contact information of the Hero of Ferelden. 

From behind her, the young mage heard a small humorless chuckle. She didn't have to turn around to see who it was, she was in the rookery, surrounded by crows, after all. Leliana leaned against the opposite side of the window, following Andromeda Trevelyan's gaze.

"He worries about her," She explained, "Constantly. I don't think they've ever been apart this long, even during the fifth blight."

Andromeda turned her attention to the spy-master, her curiosity caught like a butterfly in a net. Leliana hardly ever spoke about the Hero of Ferelden or the fifth blight. Even if she did talk about it, the events were mostly vague and lacked the detail that a bard would usually spin into such a fantastical story. Before the destruction of Haven, Andromeda had often wondered what Leliana had been like before or during the fifth blight. She had heard from so many people that she was changed by the events, but Andromeda Trevelyan had only ever known the cold and calculating Left Hand of the Divine.

"She's the Hero of Ferelden. What's there to worry about," She asked cautiously.

"If you knew her, you'd know that there'd be plenty to worry about," This time, Lelianna's laugh seemed more relaxed, amused even. "Orion always had a talent for getting herself into dangerous situations, intentional or not."

Andromeda gave a small laugh in reply, knowing the feeling. It felt as though even if she were only heading out into the field to gather a minuscule amount of supplies, that she would always stumble across a Venatori assassination plot or some red lyrium smuggling ring. 

"We've sent out the messengers to find her. If we're lucky, we should find our dearest Cousland within the next couple of days. Perhaps, hearing from her will set his nerves at ease," The spy-master updated. "I worry too, though. If Corypheus is using the Calling to his advantage, I can't imagine he wouldn't see her attempts to cure the Wardens of it as a threat."

Andromeda nodded gravely, mimicking the darkspawn Magister, " _'I will not suffer even an unknowing rival.'_ " She did not doubt that these thoughts were what was plaguing the Warden on the battlements.

Leliana shuffled away from the wall, moving towards her desk, shuffling through seemingly random reports. Looking a bit closer, Andromeda could tell they were reports on Red Templar movements and the small amount of Venatori activity that the Inquisition had uncovered near the general area Alistair had pointed them towards in regards to Orion Cousland's location.

"Unfortunately, our dearest Warden does not have the strength of spies, armies, and diplomats to protect her quite yet. She will have to hold her own until we find her," Lelianna cracked a small smile, "If she'll even let us offer her protection that is."

The Inquisitor took a last peek out the window, watching as Warden Stroud and Hawke managed to get Alistair off the battlements, probably tricking him into the Tavern. Maker knows that the Warden probably needed a little bit of downtime. Andromeda walked over to the Left Hand, pulling a rickety chair from her desk and watching the spy-master flutter through her reports.

Out of all of her advisors, Leliana was the most difficult to read, though one might have been able to discern that trait just from her title as the Inquisition's Spy-Master. It still baffled Andromeda like a child obsessing over an incomplete puzzle. Life in the Circle had taught Andromeda to read people much like the way she read tomes. In the Circle, it kept her safe. Often it would be the ability to ascertain a Templar's mood or disposition that kept her or her apprentices from the Rite of Tranquility, or even being able to read her apprentices before they had a mental breakdown from the stress of the Templar's presence, their upcoming Harrowing, or even just life in the Circle in general.

Of Andromeda's advisors, she found that Cullen was the easiest to perceive. You can take the Templar out of the Order, but you can't take the Order out of the Templar, as she had once tried to explain to the Commander. He may have left the Order, but he been a Templar for far too long to just drop the mannerisms. She could see when he was getting defensive, passionate, or if his withdrawals were particularly bad that day. Josephine, had been surprisingly more difficult to read. Although she was by no means Orlesian, she put on a mask as adeptly as noble who had been dealing with the Great Game since birth. It got to the point where Andromeda sometimes couldn't even tell when Josephine had the mask on or off. 

As time went on, however, she found it easier to read Leliana. You couldn't do it talking face-to-face with her; you had to catch her unguarded in work or in thought. If you were patient enough to wait, you could read the Left Hand like an open book, all the words written plain as day on her face. 

Worry was an expression that Andromeda rarely saw in the spy-master. If she failed, she changed plans and continued on. The last time she had seen the spy-master worried, it had been just before finding Skyhold. Andromeda took a leap of faith, and questioned the Nightingale, hoping to calm her nerves as best as she could. 

"What's she like?"

Leliana looked up from the reports, eyebrows raised, "Who?" 

"The Hero of Ferelden. Orion Cousland. You said she was your most trusted friend. I recognize the name," Andromeda said, "But, I don't know the person. I'm curious."

The Spy-Master looked up thoughtfully, as if trying to find the right words to describe her old friend. 

"She reminds me a lot like you, actually. Noble in purpose, but you have different styles of getting results."

"How so?"

"She's a little less diplomatic and little more ruthless," Leliana explain bemusedly, "Though I guess she can afford to be a little ruthless. She is a Grey Warden after all. Though when you take her out of her position and duty, she becomes a totally different person. Lovely. Kind. Compassionate. She was born to be a hero."

Andromeda gave Leliana a small smile, putting a comforting hand on the Divine's shoulder. The words were few in number, but they were enough. The Hero of Ferelden was important to Leliana, and that was all the motivation she needed to make contact with her a priority. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys. So I've been playing Inquisition non-stop, and while my canon story involves Cousland and Alistair becoming King and Queen, I realized that their cameos in Inquisition have a lot more presence if you keep them as Wardens, even if its heartbreaking. So, I'm doing a sort-of AU for my canon universe where they stay Wardens, and definite Dragon Age AU, where Hawke's Warden friends are both Stroud and Alistair. Because I can't make tough decisions for fanfiction purposes. Besides, it's not like if Alistair stayed a Warden, Stroud would have never existed, right? Right? /excuses excuses/
> 
> Also, sorry chapter isn't that long. Its more of a preface than anything.


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